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TV motion smoothing and motion sickness: why it happens and how to turn it off

Motion smoothing adds interpolated frames between the real ones to make movement look ultra fluid, and that hyper-real look, the soap opera effect, reads as wrong to the visual system and can trigger nausea on panning shots. Turning it off restores the motion cadence your eyes expect, and every major brand has a setting for it.

TV and monitors · Built-in setting available

Key facts

  • Motion smoothing interpolates extra frames so motion looks ultra fluid, and that soap opera effect can trigger nausea on panning shots.
  • Every major brand lets you turn it off: Samsung, LG, Sony, TCL Roku, Roku and Vizio each have a setting.
  • The Samsung, Sony, TCL Roku and Roku paths are verified at first-party or official sources; the LG and Vizio paths come from strong third-party guides and vary by model year.

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Why motion smoothing feels wrong

Motion smoothing inserts extra frames between the real ones so movement looks unnaturally fluid. The result, the soap opera effect, is hyper-real motion that reads as wrong to your visual system and can produce nausea and unease, especially on slow pans. Switching it off puts back the motion cadence your eyes are used to.

Viewer sitting farther from a television and using a remote during a fast-moving scene.
Changing motion processing can make panning feel more naturalEditorial image: Dizzout

What actually helps

Where the setting lives

  • SamsungSettings > Picture > Expert Settings > Auto Motion Plus Settings (older) or Picture Clarity Settings (newer) > Off
  • SonyHOME > Settings > Display > Picture > Motionflow > Off
  • TCL Roku TVPress Star on the remote > Picture settings > Advanced picture settings > Action Smoothing > Off
  • Roku TVPress Star during playback > Picture settings > Advanced picture settings > Action Smoothing > Off
  • LGSettings > All Settings > Picture > Advanced Settings > Clarity > TruMotion > OffFrom strong third-party guides rather than a first-party page, and the exact menu varies by model year.
  • VizioMenu > Picture > (Advanced) Reduce Judder and Reduce Blur to 0, or Motion Control offFrom strong third-party guides rather than a first-party page, and the exact menu varies by model year.
  • Turn off your maker's motion-smoothing setting using the path above for your brand.
  • If a panning shot in a film or sports broadcast is what gets you, that is the setting to reach for first.
  • Menus change yearly and vary by model, so if the exact wording is different on your set, look for a picture setting with smoothing, judder or motion in the name.
  • All paths here were checked as of August 2026.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my new TV make me feel motion sick?

Most likely motion smoothing, which many TVs turn on by default. It adds interpolated frames to make movement look ultra fluid, and that hyper-real soap opera effect reads as wrong to your visual system, especially on slow pans, which can bring on nausea. Turning it off in the picture settings usually fixes it.

How do I turn off motion smoothing?

It depends on the brand. On Samsung it is Auto Motion Plus or Picture Clarity, on LG it is TruMotion, on Sony it is Motionflow, and on TCL Roku and Roku TVs it is Action Smoothing under the advanced picture settings. On Vizio, set Reduce Judder and Reduce Blur to 0. Menus change by model year, so look for a setting with smoothing, judder or motion in the name.

Is motion smoothing switched on by default?

On many sets, yes. Standard and store picture modes often ship with it enabled, which is why a new TV can feel wrong on the first evening. Many recent TVs also carry Filmmaker Mode, an industry setting that turns off motion smoothing and the other picture processing in one step, so switching picture mode can be quicker than hunting for the individual toggle. Not every set has it, and on those you need the brand path above.

Will turning motion smoothing off make sports look worse?

It will look different, and some people do prefer it on for sport. Without the interpolated frames, fast pans carry a little more judder, because you are seeing the frame rate the broadcast was shot at. Most sets let you set smoothing low rather than off, which is a reasonable middle if panning shots are what make you queasy but you want some of the smoothness back.

Nobody else in my house notices it. Is it in my head?

No. Sensitivity to screen motion varies a lot between people, and this trigger splits households more than most. The processing is genuinely there on the picture, and someone who does not feel motion sick has no reason to notice it. You do not need anyone else to agree with you before turning it off.

Set up before your next session with TV motion smoothing and motion sickness

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Sources & further reading

Your next question, probably

Does your phone have the setting?

iPhone, Samsung and Pixel, and what each one cannot do

If that is not your question:

Settings paths were checked at the makers' own support pages and at MDN as of August 2026, where a first-party source exists; the rest is labelled reported and dated. Device menus change with software updates and vary by model, so your own settings menu is the final word. Apple, Samsung, Sony, LG, TCL, Roku, Vizio, Amazon, TikTok, Instagram, Google and DJI are trademarks of their respective owners; Dizzout is not affiliated with or endorsed by them. Sensitivity varies from person to person; this page is informational and not medical advice.